Not as Expected
by bluejaymewjay
Summary: Beginning at s1e1 and going through the season by chapter. Rachel needs success, and wants there to be something to show for her high school years. Will promises the glee club will bring her everything she wants, and it very well may... Though it may not be what either of them had expected. Eventual schueberry, in the meantime, a story of s1 glee focussing on Will and Rachel.
1. 1: Pilot

**Author's note: My very first real fanfiction has been tons of fun to write! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did putting it together. I'd been holding off of publishing it for a long time, but I'm quite happy with it now. Thank you for reading!**

**This first chapter is mostly canon exposition with a lot of auditions, but there's more schueberry in the second chapter!**

-x-

Rachel Berry grinned giddily up at the sign-up sheet. Finally, the club she'd heard so much about for so long was back.

The McKinley Glee club had been disbanded after the retirement of the previous Glee coach, which happened just a year before she made it into high school. Of course, there were rumors the flamingly gay choir teacher was going to take it over. She didn't think this would do much for the club or for her own abilities- the man may as well have been deaf, seeing as he never paid a moment of attention to Rachel's talent.

Instead, Mr. Schuester had taken it over. This she supported wholeheartedly. He'd sung before at school events with little fanfare, but the man was good and, though she didn't want to admit it, pretty easy on the eyes. Plus, he was a well-liked teacher, even if half of his students were failing his class.

The other names on the list would be the problem, Rachel could tell already. She scowled at the sheet. Ignoring the many fake names scrawled on by the miscreants she was forced to go to school with, there were only four serious names. At least, she assumed they were serious. She knew all of them to some degree, but she almost hoped their names were written there as a joke.

It sounded cruel, but she meant it. The last thing she needed was a group of short-bus misfits, that would only drag her already rock-bottom reputation even lower. Sure, they were nice enough, but they were _them. _There was Kurt Hummel, the school's resident gay. Artie Abrams was confined to a wheel chair and she had no idea the kid had any interest in singing whatsoever. Then there was Mercedes Jones, your everyday black diva who didn't particularly like Rachel, and Tina Cohen-Chang, a social outcast who could barely speak to people, let alone sing. With an ill-hopeful scoff, she wrote her own name on the list, placing a trademark gold star sticker next to it on the line. Even if everyone else sucked, she would just have a bigger spotlight.

She put her pen pack into it's designated spot in her purse and turned directly into an oncoming wave of red. Icy, sugary syrup dripped down her face, and she blinked several times to clear the cold liquid from her eyes. Gaping, she turned to the perpetrators- two blockheaded sportaholics who laughed as they passed. Well, Noah Puckerman laughed, but that was to be expected. He'd probably laugh if he tripped an old woman down the stairs. But the other one just sort of looked at her. Not that he didn't look amused, he just didn't show it.

He also happened to be the one holding the empty slushie cup. She glared at him, turning towards the bathroom so she could wash the slushie off of her face and hair. Finn Hudson. He was your cliched dumber-than-a-sack-of-bricks football man, who, of course, happened to be dating the cheerleading captain, Quinn Fabray.

Standing in the girl's bathroom, wiping globs of red ice from her cheeks, she realized how close the Glee club's audition date was. The ninth was only next week. Of course, that wasn't a problem. She had a song for auditions of every sort that she could always fall back onto if time was in short supply. Les Mis would do nicely, and she didn't mind an opportunity to prove to her future Glee coach that she knew her way around a musical or two.

Managing to successfully extract several bits of ice slush from her hair, she smiled into the mirror. She had her audition covered.

-x-

Will sat nervously in the auditorium, wondering if anyone was actually going to show up to the auditions. There were at least a few salvageable names on the list, but only a measly couple. He tried to keep an open mind, but as the clock ticked closer and closer to 5 o'clock, he felt his hope beginning to drift.

However, at 5 on the dot, the auditorium doors swung open. A goth-looking asian girl pushing a nerdy kid in a wheel chair came in. The kid in the wheelchair was at least vaguely familiar to him, although his name slipped Will's mind entirely. Will had absolutely no idea who the girl was was, and thus assumed that she was this Tina, seeing as he knew the other girls on the he list.

"This is the right place for auditions, right?" The nerdy kid asked, looking around, as if he had expected a crowd. Seeing no one else, he shrugged and went on, "Well, I guess I can go first." To Will's relief, he said, "I'm Artie Abrams, and I'll be singing Let it Be by, obviously, the Beatles." He said this as Tina wheeled him awkwardly around to the flat space in front of the stage. The was no ramp, or any other method for him to actually get on the stage. Tina scuttled off, quickly going to Brad the pianist on stage and handing him a few pages of sheet music. Then she scurried back off and dropped into a chair near the front of the auditorium. Artie gave her an appreciative smile, then looked at Will and drew a deep breath.

_When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me_

_Speaking words of wisdom, let it be_

Immediately, Will was impressed. Sure, the notes were a little off, but the kid looked and sounded fairly nervous, despite the nonchalant attitude he tried to put off.

_And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me_

_Speaking words of wisdom, let it be_

_Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be_

_Whisper words of wisdom, let it be_

The auditorium doors opened again and he heard another pair of feet shuffle down the aisle. He didn't look back as he felt it would be rude, but he heard the newcomer flop in a seat down a few rows behind him.

_And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree_

_There will be an answer, let it be_

_For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see_

_There will be an answer, let it be_

Artie slipped painfully off a few notes, but for the most part, Will thought the auditions were starting wonderfully. He glanced down at Tina, who appeared to be both collapsing in on herself while also closely watching Artie audition. She seemed awful nervous. That was to be expected, of course. He directed his attention back to Artie.

_And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me_

_Shine until tomorrow, let it be_

_I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me_

_Speaking words of wisdom, let it be_

_Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be_

_There will be an answer, let it be_

_Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be_

_Whisper words of wisdom, let it be_

Artie's song ended with a nice response of applause from the few people in the auditorium. Will looked back at the person who'd come in during Artie's audition. Mercedes Jones was smiling excitedly at Artie, and looked like she couldn't wait to get up there herself. Tina, meanwhile, unfolded herself and stood, moving across the room and pushing Artie away. "Well, Tina, you're up next," Artie sang. Tina glanced at Will and mumbled something unintelligible, to which Artie replied, "Come on, that was the deal. I do mine, you do yours. It's not that bad, I swear."

Tina huffed in a way that almost sounded annoyed, but Will could tell from the look on her face that the poor girl was terrified. Nonetheless, she pushed Artie to an out of the way spot and turned, walking towards the stairs leading up to the stage.

Somewhere between Artie and the stage, Tina transformed into another person. By the time she looked back at Will, her face was hardened with resolve. Yet, her words came out as worried, nervous stutters.

"I'm T-T-Tina Cohen-Chang, a-and I'm singing I K-Kissed a Girl." The worried voice contrasted so much from the harsh face she was wearing. Will nodded and gave her a hopefully reassuring smile. "Go on ahead," he said.

_This was never the way I planned_

_Not my intention_

_I got so brave, drink in hand_

_Lost my discretion_

_It's not what, I'm used to_

_Just wanna try you on_

_I'm curious for you_

_Caught my attention_

Will's eyebrows subconsciously rose multiple times. He _really_ hadn't been expecting the song- or the voice. The stuttering speech had become a quite loud, in-your-face singing voice. Really, he felt as if he was being yelled at a bit, but it didn't sound _too_ bad. Still, he nodded encouragingly when her gaze wondered to him, as if for a signal, though she kept her eyes trained on the far wall at the back of the auditorium for most of it.

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_The taste of her cherry chapstick_

_I kissed a girl just to try it_

_I hope my boyfriend don't mind it_

_It felt so wrong_

_It felt so right_

_Don't mean I'm in love tonight_

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_I liked it_

She launched into a reprise of the chorus and ended it there. Again, there was a light smattering of applause. Artie whistled. Tina blushed and scurried back off stage, and the rough illusion was shattered. She was once again the nervous goth kid who'd come in.

Will was about to ask Mercedes what she was singing when the doors flew open again. "I'm so sorry I'm late!" A voice called. It was only 5:06, so he felt the girl was being a bit over-dramatic. Still, he replied with an easy "no problem" and turned to see the owner of the easily recognizable voice.

He should have figured Rachel would show up. The girl was in just about every singing and dancing related organization in Lima for a while. She pranced down the aisle in her white blouse and plaid skirt, as bubbly and loud as she was when talking about this sort of topic. "I'm Rachel Berry and for my audition-"

"Slow down, white girl," Mercedes said, putting a hand on her hip. "I was here first. I'm up next." The two stared each other down for a moment, Mercedes' eyebrow cocked challengingly.

"Why don't you go ahead first, Mercedes?" Will butted in, deciding to end the argument before it could break out. Rachel snapped her head around to him, her mouth open as if she were about to speak, but Mercedes cut her off.

"Ya'll know me. My name's Mercedes Jones," she introduced herself as she walked to center stage. She turned to face the tiny audience, gave them a bright white smile and announced, "and I'm singing Respect." She placed her hands on her hips again for a moment as she drew a deep breath, but immediately snapped them up dramatically as she began to sing.

_Ooo, your kisses_

_Sweeter than honey_

_And guess what?_

_So is my money_

_All I want you to do for me_

_Is give it to me when you get home_

_Yeah baby_

_Whip it to me_

_When you get home, now_

Will was definitely impressed. Sure, the notes were a touch off here and there, but she was a powerhouse.

_R-E-S-P-E-C-T_

_Find out what it means to me_

_R-E-S-P-E-C-T_

_Take care, TCB_

There was another round of applause. "Good job," Will said, giving her a smile. He turned to tell Rachel to go up on stage, but she was already walking quickly down the aisle, and reached the stage steps before Mercedes did. A quick glower passed between the two girls, but then Rachel bounded to center stage, giving Will a thousand-watt smile. "My name is Rachel Berry, and for my audition I'll be singing On My Own from the Broadway classic, Les Mis."

Will heard a mumble of "crazy white chick" from Mercedes.

"Go ahead," Will said, giving her a default "good luck" smile. The piano music began, and Rachel started to sing.

_On my own_

_Pretending he's beside me_

_All alone_

_I walk with him till morning_

_Without him_

_I feel his arms around me_

_And when I lose my way I close my eyes_

_And he has found me_

Will couldn't say that he was overly surprised. Everybody knew Rachel was a good singer, and if you didn't, she would tell you. She certainly seemed very practiced.

_In the rain the pavement shines like silver_

_All the lights are misty in the river_

_In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight_

_And all I see is him and me forever and forever _

_And I know it's only in my mind_

_That I'm talking to myself and not to him_

_And although I know that he is blind_

_Still I say, there's a way for us _

She was definitely an actress. When Rachel stared up at the back of the auditorium, the expression on her face faded to an understated look of anguish. It was easy to miss, but he could tell from the way her eyebrows kneaded together and the way her eyelid drooped sadly that she was getting into the character. Every now and then, her gaze dropped back down to the auditorium floor, and the illusion would be shattered for a few seconds. Then she would stare off once more and regain her persona. Intrigued, he leaned forward, elbows resting on the table in front of him. There wasn't even a school play at McKinley. How many of these kids were hiding in the woodwork, waiting to come out?

_I love him_

_But when the night is over_

_He is gone_

_The river's just a river_

_Without him_

_The world around me changes_

_The trees are bare and everywhere_

_The streets are full of strangers_

_I love him_

_But every day I'm learning_

_All my life_

_I've only been pretending_

_Without me_

_His world would go on turning_

_A world that's full of happiness_

_That I have never known_

The auditorium was absolutely silent as she hit the big note. She squeezed her eyes shut, eyebrows high and mouth opened wide in order to lift her range. After several seconds of silence, she opened her eyes and continued:

_I love him_

_I love him_

_I love him_

_But only on my own_

Even Mercedes clapped.

"Great job," Will said, his own smile seeming pathetic next to her own excited beam.

"So," she said, voice overflowing with confidence, "When are rehearsals?"

-x-

Rachel slammed the door behind her, stomping out into the hall. She was done with Glee club, absolutely done. The rest of those miscreants couldn't understand her talent, and that was just fine with her.

This was the third time that week storming out, but she was still equally fed up.

She was sick of people telling her she was such a terrible performer. Such a terrible _person_. Rachel took her usual route down the hall before stopping just around the corner and leaning against the lockers, huffing angrily.

She's been choosing this place so that when the others decide to come find her and apologize, she would be nearby.

However, that had not happened yet, despite this being somewhat of a common occurrence by now. She crossed her arms, glancing back over her shoulder at the choir room door. She could vaguely her the sound of practice resuming, despite her not being there.

Well, that's fine. They could try all they wanted, but they wouldn't be able to have proper rehearsal without her talent there. Finn was getting somewhere, but he couldn't support the entire group. A dynamic vocal duo needed two people to lead. She smirked to herself and waited for the inevitable begging for forgiveness to come.

Yet, even after half an hour of sitting in the hall, it didn't come. She heard the choir door open and prepared herself only to realize that rehearsal was ending, and everyone seemed happy with how it went. In fact, they all seemed happy with each other. It was as if she didn't have to be there.

Rachel didn't give the others the benefit of a glare as a group of them passed, opting instead to look towards the other end of the hall. She heard Mercedes mutter something about "the white diva", which made Kurt giggle.

Finn almost walked past her, then stopped. "Hey," he said, a lopsided smile twisting across his face. She refused to smile back.

"What do you want?" She asked, cocking her head and pursing her lips haughtily, as if he were intruding on something important.

Finn seemed slightly taken aback for a moment. "You know, you should really give us more of a chance. I know we're not that good but we're kind of not too bad all together," he said.

Rachel took a step towards him, a vain attempt at an intimidating exterior. She barely came up to the football player's shoulder. "I can't learn anything if I'm the one carrying the entire group, Finn," she scoffed.

"Well, just give us some time or something," He said. "Look, we're trying."

"You're not trying hard enough!" Rachel snapped.

Finn was very much unamused. "Whatever. Bye, Rachel," He said, turning away from her and lumbering off down the hall.

Part of Rachel regretted sending him away like that, and the other part of her really didn't at all. Finn Hudson would never associate himself with her, anyway. She didn't know why he was bothering being friendly.

Will walked out of the choir room to see Rachel pouting against the lockers. Honestly, she wasn't horribly high on his priorities list right now, but he felt obligated to talk to her. And, as much as he hated to admit it, the club _really_ needed her.

"You okay, Rachel?" He asked, giving her a small smile and stopping by her.

"No, Mr. Schue, I'm not," she said, looking up at him with wide eyes. "My reputation is all that I have. My _talent_ is all that I have! If I'm not successful, then I'm not anything, and _this_ is _not_ a successful club!"

"It's only our fourth real practice," Will said, raising his eyebrows.

"And we suck," Rachel shot back. Then, voice quieting, she said, "I'm tired of being laughed at."

The sudden change of pace surprised him. "We'll get better, Rachel."

"Until then we're just a bunch of losers," Rachel said. Will sighed, looking away from her and to the retreating figures of the other kids. "Mr. Schue, being a part of something special makes you special. I need us to be good."

It made sense to him, as strange as it sounded. "We'll get better," he repeated. "You're the best kid in there, Rach." He saw her brighten significantly. "We'll get better faster with you there. Stay for the whole practice next time, okay?" He smiled.

He'd managed to coax a small smile from her. "Okay," she replied. He nodded.

"Then I'll be seeing you next week," He said, starting off down the hall.

"Wait!" Rachel said, matching his pace, her smile spreading to her thousand-watt grin. "I have tons of solo ideas I've got to run by you."


	2. 2: Showmance

**AN: I've gotten such a great response just from chapter one! I've got to say Tom Hanks you to Jacob who's given me great insight on my story as I've been working on it. This chapter is a good bit longer than the first one! Also, I lied last chapter OTL I apologize. Again, very little schueberry. In the meantime, there's SORT OF a little Finnchel to make some canon events make more sense. Sorry! I swear it will happen eventually.**

**While I was writing a scene with Finn, my heart suddenly dropped. I hope everyone is holding up okay!**

Without six more kids, the Glee Club wouldn't even get a chance at regionals, much less a chance to survive the rest of the year.

The weight of the realization had drug Will's fantastic morning very low. Every time he saw Sue his mood fell a little lower, and to have her deliver the bad news was just adding insult to injury. Among with her usual laundry list of offensive nonsense, she'd unleashed the game-changer while staring him down in her office. "_Figgins says unless you place at Regionals, he's cutting the program."_

Then she had to whip out the damn show choir rulebook and make an ass of him by telling him what he should've known. A club needs at least twelve kids to participate at regionals.

Of course he would not give her the benefit of seeing him upset by this. He tried his very hardest to remain civil to the aging, condescending beast staring him in the face- with varying levels of success. Just because she was an awful human being didn't mean he would be. (Not to her face, at least.)

However, while walking briskly down the hall to his spanish room, he couldn't help but subconsciously glare ahead while thinking on the subject. He was mad at the world. Mad at those kids who he'd just seen shove Kurt into the lockers for the eighth time this week, mad at Figgins for threatening to cut the program, mad at the show choir committee for having these rules, mad at Terri for not being supportive of the club, and most of all mad at Sue for being such a foul excuse for a woman.

Will flicked on the light in his classroom, dropped his bag on his chair and leant forward, pressing his palms flat against the fake woodgrain of his desktop and sighing deeply. He ran a hand dejectedly through his hair as he straightened, staring thoughtfully ahead at the windows across the room. Then he shook his head, now rubbing his temples, and growled, annoyed.

Then he heard a soft knock at the doorframe and he turned, surprised.

It was Rachel, looking slightly embarrassed. The fact that she hadn't just bustled into the room was enough to let him know she'd seen more than she'd expected.

"Hey, Rachel," Will said softly, trying a small smile.

Rachel reflected his smile and looked down at the papers in her hands. "I found a song that I thought the club could do." She held up the stack, showing him the name of the song she'd chosen. It was a big number from some big Gershwin musical that required a _very_ big group to pull off. Yet he felt wrong immediately shutting down her suggestion after what she'd seen, so he told her to pull up a chair so they could talk about the music.

Of course the conversation quickly became rather one-sided. Rachel had clearly thought the song through very well, and Will wouldn't have been able to get many words in edgewise even if he'd wanted to. Instead he found his mind wondering back to the situation he was in, and Rachel's words became a persistent buzzing that barely registered to him.

Then he realized she was looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer to a question he hadn't heard. Will sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Rachel, could we maybe talk about this a little later? I've got a lot on my mind."

She looked as if she was going to protest for a moment, but then nodded, jaw set. "Sorry to bug you," she said quietly before leaving.

He felt like an ass, but he let that be the least of his worries.

-x-

Will's lack of interest in the music happened to be the least of Rachel's worries as well.

Her morning had gone far less swimmingly than his, and had altogether remained quite awful. She'd already been slushied once, and the blue stains on the front of her pink sweater were still wet and somewhat cold when Quinn cornered her.

"Time for some girl talk, _manhands_," Quinn sneered, glaring down at Rachel aggressively, "you can sing with Finn, you can dance with Finn, but you will _never_ have Finn."

Of course Rachel had scripted this very moment countless times in her head, and she was ready to throw back a scathing response when Finn passed, greeting Quinn while giving Rachel a lopsided smile.

At this, Quinn's expression darkened and she shot another glare at Rachel before storming off in the opposite direction of her oblivious boyfriend.

Rachel couldn't help but feel a bit giddy, Finn's goofy smile sticking in her mind. They were a dynamic duo, after all, the school would be expecting them to be together.

Well, the school certainly didn't expect it yet. It was just a matter of time. After all, the club was performing at the pep assembly in a few days, and after putting on a fantastic show, Rachel knew no one would be able to deny their vocal chemistry. It was a relationship that simply had to happen.

Yet Rachel couldn't envision her chemistry with Finn becoming evident through disco.

Now Will's lack of interest in _I Got Rhythm _was a problem. After having the music and choreography for _Freak Out_ explained, it was Kurt who took it upon himself to announce, "This song is really... gay."

Will reminding the group to work on their "John Travolta hands" was also not very promising.

"We took Nationals back in '93 with this song," Will said, a little hurt by the club's clear vehement dislike for the song he had fond memories of. "The disco revival was in its heyday!" Yet, the kids were far less fond of the choice of music. Will chose to look down at the sheet music in his hands while saying, "Listen, guys. If we don't get six more Glee Club members, we won't be able to perform at Regionals." He didn't have the heart to tell the kids about how important Regionals would be quite yet.

He heard Mercedes mutter about the kind of kids they'd be attracting if they sang this song. Finn, standing wide-eyed next to Rachel, said, "_I'm dead_," with very strong conviction.

Rachel took the opportunity to hopefully prompt, "Mr. Schue, what about the song I'd mentioned earlier?"

"Come on, guys, this is a great song," Will plowed on, all but flat-out ignoring Rachel's suggestion. "From the top, let's go." She crossed her arms and sulked back to her starting position.

Had Will not been so upset by the club's dislike for the song, he would have found their performance actually somewhat humorous. Mercedes and Kurt were openly scowling as they danced, and Artie and Finn were just barely trying to keep up a smiling "show face". Granted, Finn was spending more time staring at his feet than anywhere else, so his expression was somewhat masked. Tina looked horrified that she was doing something wrong. Then of course there was Rachel, beaming dutifully despite her anger that was just visible through the way her jaw was clenched so tight.

Will supposed he could look for some more modern music. He probably should have at least considered Rachel's idea as well, he thought guiltily.

Then he realized, looking at the resolve in her eyes, he would be hearing more about her ideas whether he wanted to or not.

He braced himself when rehearsal ended and Rachel marched up to him, her jaw set determinedly. "Alright, Rachel," he said before she could open her mouth, "tell me all about your idea."

She seemed taken aback for a moment, but she didn't deny the opportunity. She _had_ thought this through. She'd even marked some sheet music detailing who would be singing what and when. (He noticed she would be singing an awful large solo, but didn't quite get a chance to cut in to point that out.) Will had to admit, she'd worked everything out brilliantly, and he could imagine the song sounding very nice despite the small group.

Rachel was just getting on to explaining the dance break when he stopped her. "This sounds fantastic, but how would we ever get all of this done in time for the assembly?" He asked, looking up at her and raising his eyebrows. This made her stop for long enough to let him continue. "We're not bad, but this is a lot of work for a group with such little practice. At least _Freak Out _is fairly simple, especially dance-wise." Within the first breath of her explanation, Rachel'd already suggested choreography he didn't want to even attempt for fear of hurting someone.

He knew she wouldn't argue with him. Not on this. She especially knew that the club was rusty, after her performing background. "I guess you're right," she admitted, retracting her sheet music. "But please, Mr. Schue, we can't do _disco _for an assembly of high school _cretins_." She was pleading with him. "This is the kind of song people play when they're trying to be comical, not when they're trying to attract teenage Glee Club members."

"I'm sorry, but the disco is staying." Will said, meaning to have the final word.

Rachel crossed her arms. He thought she was going to argue, but then she just shook her head and picked up her bag. "See you tomorrow," she said stonily, walking from the room with a tangible air of annoyance.

He would definitely find some more modern music, but for the assembly, the disco was staying, whether they liked it or not.

-x-

So, it was modern music the kids wanted? Fine, then he would give them modern music.

Will had managed to track down some Kanye West song that he'd heard a few times on the radio before. He had to admit he wasn't hugely in touch with modern music beyond the occasional radio station. He _did _know the more modern showtunes, which he figured might please Rachel, but instead decided to go with the mainstream music route.

And so at practice a few days before the he was handing out sheet music to _Gold Digger _and was quite pleased with himself. Rachel looked as if she was priming herself for a solo when Will turned to Mercedes and said, "think you can handle it?"

"Wait, Mr. Schue, are we singing this at the assembly?" Artie said, and the kids lit up, looking at him expectantly.

"No, we'll never be able to get this ready in time for the assembly." Every kids' shoulders drooped. "Finn, you'll take the male lead," Will said, pointing at Finn as he did so.

He could see the panic on Finn's face. "What? No. Mr. Schue, I'm still learning how to walk and sing at the same time," Finn said quickly.

Will had sort of been hoping he'd say that. Old-time music buff or not, Will knew he could still handle modern songs. "I guess I'll just have to show you how it's done," Will said challengingly.

This sparked playful jeering from the kids, and Finn grinned. Will shucked off his coat and nodded to Mercedes.

_She take my money when I'm in need_

_Yeah she's a trifling friend indeed_

_Oh she's a gold digger way over town_

_That digs on me_

And then Will was launching off on a half-rap performance with a few flubbed words and some fancy footwork that he'd learned over the years. He could see a difference in the kids when they were singing like this, excited and lively and non-scripted. Artie stepped up and took over on a stanza Will had forgotten, nailing every note and surprising Will. Mercedes was wailing notes even Rachel had to admit were amazing. Finn had taken up his own goofy dance steps and Tina actually looked like she was having fun, instead of her usual nervous, stiff movements.

Will sort of regretted forcing disco on them, seeing them this happy with this song.

Still, it was too late to do anything about it. He decided to let today's practice be a day to have fun and they spent the rest of it improvising pieces of popular songs. Honestly, it was the most fun he'd had in a long time.

-x-

The day of the assembly rolled around with little fanfare. Most of the students were just looking forward to getting out of the last class of the day. The teachers were grumbling about losing classtime and getting a day behind.

Will was ecstatic to see the club perform after all the work they'd been putting in to _Freak Out. _In the end, the kids even seemed like they had come to like the song, and hadn't asked him to change it in a while. He was proud of himself for sticking with the disco. Will would introduce the club and they'd be off, singing the song that had earned McKinley a first-place trophy at Nationals so many years ago.

Meanwhile, the kids were excited for a whole other reason.

It was Rachel who'd had the idea to prepare another song in secret. She'd wanted to perform something from _Cabaret_ but the idea was quickly gunned down in favor of Kurt and Mercedes' suggestion.

At first the club wasn't quite sure if they could pull the new song off. It would be hard to rehearse in secret all the time. They managed to put together the choreography and pull together decent vocals within less than a week, thanks to Rachel, who'd let them practice in her basement.

Rachel detested the song but upon realizing just how close she could get to Finn, she realized she didn't mind it much at all. It was very easy to manipulate the choreography to get to him, and she found it was a pretty nice situation despite the lack of solos.

Will had put on something nice to introduce his club to the small stage set up in the gym. After patiently waiting for Figgins to finish his string of announcements, Will stood and smiled widely, catching Sue glaring at him from the back of the room.

"The fact is, the Glee Club needs more members," Will began. "I would try to convince you just how good the club is, but instead, I'll let some friends convince you." The line was cheesy but he gestured excitedly to the stage, clapping for the kids as the curtain opened and he rushed to a seat.

He didn't realize until sitting down that they were not in the starting position he'd showed them.

Then, suddenly, music he hadn't taught the kids began to play, and they were off on a completely different dance than he'd shown them. And then they started to _sing_.

They were singing _Push It._

Will felt his mouth hang open and he actually felt the need to avert his eyes due to the sheer inappropriateness of the number. He searched for Figgins in the crowd, and upon having no success, found himself looking at Sue, who had stood up and was now staring in open-mouthed shock and fury at the stage.

He didn't know what to do except let the number end. There were several seconds of stoney silence as the performance finished, and then the audience erupted. The kids were screaming and cheering, and the teachers looked as shocked as Will.

As the curtains began to close, Will saw Rachel's eyes wildly searching the audience. Then his eyes met her's and he saw her register his anger. Her stage smile slipped.

Will didn't even go to congratulate the club. He went straight to Figgins' office, because he knew he was going to be there soon anyway.

-x-

Rachel waited outside Figgins' office, leaning against the wall nervously. She had volunteered to talk to Will, it seemed appropriate to her since she was the one who'd suggested doing another song. Of course, none of the other kids tried to fight her on this.

When Will walked out immediately following Sue, Rachel quickly said, "Mr. Schue, I'm so sorry."

Will turned on her. "Do you have any idea what you've done today? You lied to me. And no parent in their right mind will ever let their kid join the glee club now." Rachel looked like she was going to interject, but he didn't let her. "Rachel, I know how much you care about Glee Club and I know why you did what you did. But you shouldn't have done it this way."

"We never meant to get you in trouble. Im sorry," she repeated.

"We might not make it to Regionals if we can't get new members." His voice stung. "You all should be sorry."

Rachel didn't know how to vocalize just how sorry she was, so she just nodded, looking down to the floor.

The news that the club may not make it now felt like a physical blow to the Glee kids. Practice was cancelled for the week. Desperate for solace and a chance to sing, Rachel decided to work on furthering her and Finn's currently non-existent relationship. They were a _dynamic duo_, after all, they were meant to be together.

So a few days later she set the two of them up for a romantic picnic under the stage lights, complete with singing and the best food she manage could put together. She knew that he had some feelings for her, all she would have to do is make the spark. And she figured she could kill two birds with one stone (even though she objected to the phrase, being vegan and all) by working on Finn's singing while also getting closer to him. She missed the regularity of rehearsal that week and felt like helping Finn would make her feel better.

Rachel was waiting for him when he arrived. He came in from the student door at the back of the auditorium. She subtly posed at the piano as he walked onto the stage.

"Hey," Finn said, the corners of his mouth turning up softly. She saw him glancing, confused, at the picnic basket. She hadn't told him there would be food. She thought asking him to go on a picnic would sound too much like a date.

"Hi." Rachel smiled back. "I was thinking we could start with some singing, and we can eat later." She couldn't resist bragging a bit. "I made the food myself."

Finn nodded. Evidently, the picnic wasn't too weird for him.

They busied themselves with singing scales. Rachel had run through one herself just for fun, then began to work through it with Finn. He wasn't a _bad _singer necessarily, but he needed a lot of practice.

"That's great!" Rachel said as Finn managed to barely hit the higher notes she'd plunked out on the piano. She was shivering the tiniest bit, her nerves twisting in a way she rarely felt. She, Rachel Berry, Gold Star Rachel Berry, was actually nervous. "Now, we should go back and-"

"Actually, can we stop?" Finn asked. Stifling feelings of annoyance at being cut off, she nodded, and he continued, "Singing just makes me hungry."

Rachel smiled, gesturing to the blanket just off center stage. "Well, we're lucky I prepared for that," she said proudly.

Finn nodded his goofy little nod, smiling his goofy little smile. "I guess we are," he said, looking at her with eyes that made her heart beat quickly. She grinned, very gently taking his hand and walking him over to the blanket.

They sat in silence as Rachel pulled various food items from the basket. Her hands were shaking, and only shook harder as Finn spoke. "You know, Rachel," he began, "When I first joined Glee, I thought you were gonna be really... weird." Rachel felt the anxious smile slip and she looked away, not wanting him to see the disappointment. Then, Finn continued, "but then I heard you sing." Rachel met his gaze, blinking, feelings rising in her chest. "Something touched me, right in here," Finn said, pressing a hand to his chest. She smiled, moving his hand to the other side of his pectorals. "Your heart is over here," she explained softly. Finn nodded, saying, "right," as if he meant to do that.

She tried to find something to say. This, to her, was the greatest indicator that something was wrong. She was speechless. Rachel had spent hours writing this perfect script in her head, going over what she would say when he said what she hoped he would. Yet as much as she tried to, she couldn't think of anything that she could truthfully say. The script suddenly seemed wrong. Rachel found herself gazing at her hands, painfully aware of his eyes darting to and away from her face.

Rachel wasn't sure if she was unhappy or not. She really thought that for the first time, after years of struggling to find a boy in high school she could stand, Finn would open up her world, give her the romantic, grand boyfriend she'd always wanted. They were _supposed_ to be together. Desperate to regain the happy, foggy feeling in her chest, she said softly, "You can kiss me if you want."

She didn't know why the feeling didn't return as he said, "I want to."

Finn moved across the blanket, and she slid back, letting him on top of her. She shut her eyes. It felt awkward, wrong, and felt even more wrong as his lips pressed against hers. He pulled away, then kissed her again. She _tried_ to enjoy it, she really did. Everything just felt off.

Suddenly, Finn made a gagging, choking noise and pulled away fast, climbing off of her and standing up. Trying to keep her voice strong, she asked, "Did I do something wrong?" She tried to meet his gaze, but he wouldn't look her in the eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek.

"I gotta go," Finn said quickly. "Look, please, don't tell anyone about this." He practically ran off stage, not giving Rachel a second look. She felt her shoulders shake, a sob rising in her chest. She dropped her face into her hands, waiting for the sound of his footsteps to fade before letting herself go. He couldn't even stand her long enough to kiss her. Even Finn couldn't stand her. She sobbed, feeling more alone than she ever had.

-x-

Will pushed the janitor's cart back into the closet, letting out a sigh of relief. He'd finished up early, and now he could get back to Terri at a decent hour so she wouldn't be mad. He locked the closet, then turned and walked back down the hall to his classroom to get his bag. He quickly shoved a few tests and papers inside of it, grabbed his keys, and started for the parking lot. Will paused as he passed the auditorium doors. He'd heard Rachel and Finn would be using it to practice. He decided to stop in and see if they needed help. Honestly, he was also missing the regularity of rehearsal, and even if he was mad at the kids, he sort of missed singing with them. This somehow seemed more appealing than going home, anyway. He pulled open the auditorium door in time to see Finn run off the stage.

Rachel was left sitting alone in the center of the stage. Will wasn't quite sure what the blankets were but quickly realized that the practice may be more private than he had expected. He started to turn around and leave, then saw Rachel cover her face. Will looked back at her. He could only assume the practice hadn't gone as expected. He pursed his lips, leaning against the doorframe. Rachel shook visibly, sobs raking her body.

It wasn't his business and he really should have been getting home to Terri. Still, he couldn't bring himself to leave Rachel here alone. Possibly against his better judgement, he found himself walking the distance to the stage.

Rachel hadn't heard him come in. He hung back a bit, standing at the edge of the stage. "Rachel?" He called. He saw her jump, look up at him, then turn away quickly, hiding her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_." She sniffled pitifully.

He walked towards her. "I'm guessing practice didn't go too well." He crouched next to her, and she gave up trying to hide her tear-streaked face.

"Finn's just such an oaf," she muttered, wiping her eyes impatiently. "I was dumb to think he'd fall in love with me." She kept her gaze trained on her hands, unable to look Will in the eyes as she said this.

He reached up and patted her shoulder gently. He couldn't bring himself to point out that he had a girlfriend, because it felt to hypocritical after the way he'd been flirting with Emma. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

Rachel sniffed. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be dumping this on you." She stood up, wrapping her arms around herself. "Thank you, though," she said. She gave him a small smile as he stood.

"No problem." He returned the smile. "If you ever need anything, you know we can talk." She nodded, and he went on, "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded once more and wiped her eye a final time. "Yes. I'm okay."

"Good." He gave her a small wave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Rachel."

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Schue."

-x-

Rachel's world came crashing down for a second time when she went to see Will early a few days later. She had spent all night printing out new sheet music and looking for ways to sing her solo parts in Don't Stop Believing. She had to stop the videos every time they came to the male soloist's part, but nonetheless, she felt she had made progress and had been extremely excited to run her ideas by Mr. Schue for the night's Glee practice. Instead, she found herself shaking her head in disbelief, the sound of school life outside the room a blur. "You're giving the solo to Quinn?" She asked, unable to process the information. Will nodded, trying his best to ignore the hurt in her eyes. "Since when is Quinn even a member of the Glee Club?"

"I'm sorry, Rachel," He said, finding it easier not to look at her as he spoke. "Quinn's audition was _appropriate_, and she did it very well."

The way he emphasized _appropriate_ made Rachel know his decision had to do with the assembly. "I'm sorry," Will repeated, feeling guilty. He knew he shouldn't have told her so soon, but he didn't want to tell her at practice. Giving the solo to Quinn would help please Figgins, might help keep Sue off his back, and might convince the three cheerios to stay in the club. They desperately needed the members. Trying to lighten the load on Rachel's shoulders, he said, "Rachel, what happened at the assembly was partly my fault. I shouldn't have pushed disco so hard on you guys." He smiled at her as she slowly looked up at him. He felt as if he were coaxing a scared turtle back out of it's shell. "You know," he said, endeavoring now to erase the hurt in her brown eyes, "when I did this song back in high school, disco was so cool. We based our whole show for Nationals around it. It probably would have been really embarrassing." He felt his own smile widen as a small smile came to her lips. "We had fun, and that is what Glee is supposed to be about." Rachel nodded, her gaze not leaving his at all as he spoke. "You won't always be the star, Rachel. But, I promise to try my best to make sure that you are always having fun," he said, satisfied with the lesson he had managed to fit into his peptalk.

"Thank you, Mr. Schue," Rachel said. She shifted her weight, looking away from him and instead becoming interested in her shoes. "Do you mind if I use the auditorium to practice again today?"

"Of course," Will replied. "Let me know if you want any help." He'd added the last bit on to make her feel better, saying it before he could change his mind about it. "You'd better get going. Class starts soon," he pointed out, holding the door open for her. Rachel walked to the door, quickly turned to him, and said, "Thank you, again," before brushing past him and walking down the hall.


	3. 3: Acafellas

**AN: Sorry for the wait! I had band camp and computer troubles and art stuff to do. This fic is always sort of lingering in the back of my mind- I REALLY REALLY want to actually finish a story for once, and I love this pairing- and I've been typing a little here and there for the past few weeks. **

**A lot more movement towards schueberry this chapter! Yay! **

Glee with the cheerios was about almost as fun as Rachel had expected it to be. They had only had two practices since the unholy trinity joined, however, the cheerios had completely skipped the first. The second consisted entirely of Quinn hanging over Finn and impairing his already impaired dancing ability even further, while Santana and Brittany sat in the back of the room, refusing to dance or sing and looking like they hated their lives.

Quinn's behavior bothered Rachel even more than Santana and Brittany's. The blonde cheerleader made sure to make a huge show of glowering at Rachel while holding Finn's hand. (Rachel was pretty sure she heard Finn whisper, "Ow, Quinn, you're kind of breaking my hand.") Rachel knew the only reason Quinn was doing it was to get back at her. However, and although Rachel would never admit it to anyone else, she was just as mad at herself as she was at Quinn. She had never felt so stupid. She should have known Finn wasn't interested, and she shouldn't have let herself be interested. The phrase_ "he's just a stupid kid_" became a religious mantra to Rachel for the next few days, and was blindly repeating it in an attempt to make herself feel better.

She started to believe herself after a while. It was nice. She hadn't felt this victorious in a while. She could get over that blockhead football player, no problem.

Of course, she took a wave of icy blue syrup to the face just after the pride set in, and the victorious feeling faded very quickly.

As she was carefully putting her wet, stained sweater into her locker (she always kept a spare on hand for these occasions), the cheerios approached her.

"Hello, Manhands," Quinn greeted cheerily. She eyed the wet sweater in Rachel's hands as she said, "Funny, I didn't know it was raining today."

"Won't talking to me get you guys shunned if you're seen?" Rachel asked, ignoring the snide remark. She shoved the sweater into a spare gym bag, shut her locker, and tried to escape the oncoming assault. Santana stood imposingly in her path. Rachel was surrounded, trapped against her locker by the unholy trinity. "Is that all you came to say?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"No need to be so cold," Quinn said, feigning dismay. "We're part of a team now, aren't we, Sweetie?"

"It's not like you actually do anything in Glee," Rachel grumbled.

"Well, do something for us, and maybe we'll actually join in your little happy friendship singing party. Okay?" Quinn gave Rachel a very halfhearted smile.

Rachel's eyebrows furrowed. "Why should I help you?" She asked incredulously. "You actually expect me to _want_ to help you?"

"Because it effects you, too," Quinn said. "Don't do it for us, do it for yourself." Upon seeing that Rachel was in no way willing to comply, she said, "Just get Mr. Schue to throw out the choreography, okay? It sucks. There's no way I'm going to be caught dancing that crap, and there's no way we'd win with it anyway."

Rachel would have agreed had she not hated Quinn so violently. The club's choreography had always been awful, and it was proving even worse than expected the last few weeks. She didn't want to admit it just because doing so would mean taking Quinn's side. "It's not that bad. Besides, he's not going to change the choreography just because I ask," Rachel insisted. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" She tried to push past Santana ineffectively.

"Oh, come on, Manhands. Of course he'll change it for you." Quinn was looking at Rachel as if this was glaringly obvious. At Rachel's puzzled expression, Quinn said, "We all know you're his favorite."

Rachel was so taken aback, she wasn't sure she'd heard Quinn properly. "What? No, I'm not," Rachel denied. Even _she_ knew Mr. Schue could barely stand her most of the time.

But then, there was last week. Mr. Schue didn't _have _to come and talk to her when she was crying on the stage. In fact, after the _Push it _ordeal, it was downright surprising.

"Who else would it be?" Quinn giggled. Rachel wasn't sure if Quinn was laughing at her or with her. "They always like the outspoken ones, you know."

Rachel didn't bother to point out how _no one_ has _ever _liked her outspoken self, teacher or not. She was still so caught off guard. Strangely enough, it almost made sense. She was very talented, after all, so being her Glee instructor's favorite seemed right.

It was a strange feeling to Rachel. Besides her dads, when was the last time she'd felt like someone's favorite? She felt special. Wanted. That victorious feeling made a small appearance as a warm glow in her chest.

But it was _Quinn_ who was telling her, Rachel thought, a bit depressed by the fact. It was too fishy to be real.

This didn't stop Rachel from saying, "I'll ask him to change the dance." _The choreography was horrible_, she reasoned. _I'm not just doing this because Quinn told me to, or because Quinn said I'm Mr. Schue's favorite. I'm doing it because it needs to be done._

Though she had to admit, it was slightly because Quinn said she was Mr. Schue's favorite.

She probably should have dismissed it as a lie, she knew. She just really, really didn't want to. The idea of someone actually liking her was too exciting to let go of that fast. She decided to let herself go on believing it for the time being. No harm done.

The cheerios walked with Rachel to the choir room. As powerful as it made her feel, Rachel refused to let herself revel in that emotion. Placing to much emotional trust on the cheerios definitely felt like a bad idea. As they walked, Quinn went on, "tell him about Dakota Stanley. Worked with Vocal Adrenaline, he can make us win." Still wrapped in her thoughts, Rachel nodded, agreeing to the deal without thinking it through. Quinn smiled and brushed past into the choir room.

Rachel followed the trio inside. Will was standing by the piano, shuffling through stacks of sheet music. "Hope you all are ready to dance!" He exclaimed, triggering a disgruntled look from Quinn. Rachel walked up to him. _I'm his favorite! _"Mr. Schue?" She got his attention. She debated what to say for a moment, then bluntly said, "I don't think we can get to Nationals with your choreography."

The claim that she was his favorite had never felt as far away as when she saw the look in his eyes then. Rachel saw nothing but frustration. Frustration with her. He ran a hand through his hair, looking away and shaking his head slightly. He was just annoyed. Confidence waning quickly, she quickly went on, "You're a great vocal instructor, Mr. Schue, but you aren't a choreographer. We need someone who's trained." She paused, glancing at Quinn, who was watching her intently. "We need Dakota Stanley. He's the choreographer for Vocal Adrenaline. He can do it."

Will did not at all feel like putting up with Rachel's complaining. In the past weeks she had become more and more controlling about solos and choreography, and he was already stretched so thin with Terri's complaints. He was trying his hardest to be an attentive husband, as he always had, but lately he felt his wife slipping away from him. "We don't have the money to hire a private choreographer, Rachel," he said. "We barely have sheet music." Will couldn't help but notice the disappointment on her face, and said, "Look, there's nothing I can do. We're gonna have to make do with what we have." The comment about his choreography sort of stung. _It's not that bad, is it?_

Rachel mumbled, "okay," not wanting to argue further. She felt utterly defeated She turned and walked to an open chair towards the back of the room, giving Quinn a soft shake of the head as she passed. Quinn looked very falsely surprised to hear that Rachel had been shot down.

Quinn had completely tricked her. Quinn knew this would happen.

Rachel was completely dumbfounded that a girl would go so far out of her way to make someone feel so stupid. She never should have listened, she knew it. Blinking away tears she hadn't realized she was on the verge of, she turned her head away from the group of high school kids in front of her, hoping on one would notice her.

Not that anyone did, of course. They didn't even like her. And to think, Rachel had actually believed she was someone's favorite.

-x-

What bothered her the most was that she had no idea why she was so upset.

She'd never been anyone's favorite person, and she'd become okay with that. She knew that people didn't like her, and she embraced that. _It's a lonely road to the top. _It had been her motto in life since she was seven and her dads were telling her that the only reason those boys in her class pushed her down the stairs at school was that they were jealous of her talent.

But this wasn't jealous elementary school boys she was shot down by, it was Mr. Schuester. It changed things. That lonely road suddenly felt all too lonely. _If the Glee coach can't even like me, who else is there? _Her talent was all she had. She really did like Will, and she felt guilty for driving him away from the club. At least, she assumed it was her fault he left. Everyone else certainly did.

So she went to Will's spanish room early a few weeks later with cookies. She'd baked them herself, 7 star-shaped sugar cookies with the letters I-M-S-O-R-R-Y written in icing. She didn't know what else to do, now that several of the other Glee kids had already tried begging him to come back.

"Mr. Schuester?" She prompted after standing completely unnoticed by his door for several long seconds.

"Oh, hey, Rachel," Will said, looking up from his laptop. He was looking for songs for the Acafellas.

Had anyone told Will that during the last few weeks he would have a living room full of middle-aged men singing and dancing to acapella pop, he'd think they were insane. Yet, here he was, missing Glee rehearsals in favor of an all-guys acapella group.

It was a spur of the moment idea, pulled together in the teacher's lounge after his apparent loss choreography ability. He, Henri, Howard, and Ken made a good group, and god knew Will needed to get his mind off of everything else. Glee was taking time away from Terri, who was slipping away from him despite his best attempts to be a good husband. Terri was ruining Will's relationship with Emma, who had begun avoiding him (probably for the better, as Emma's new boyfriend was now singing with the Acafellas). Glee was headed for disaster with too few members to qualify for regionals and too little funding and attention to do much of anything about it.

So after a bit of planning, they made up the group and picked a random song to work with. They all knew _This is How We Do It, _so they went ahead and gave it a shot. It was nice, being able to just sing with a bunch of guys.

But he didn't have time for Glee as a result. He felt a little guilty, but hadn't felt as good about himself in a long time.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for insulting your dancing." Rachel showed his the cookies. "We really need you, Mr. Schue. You haven't shown up for Glee in two weeks," she pointed out.

"Sorry, Rachel. I've been busy." The look on her face made him feel guilty. "Why don't you hire that Montana Stanley guy?"

"Dakota Stanley?"

"Yeah, him. Whatever." Will smiled. "I'll try to show up for rehearsal today, okay?"

Rachel could sense that this was the end of the conversation. "Okay," she said dejectedly, taking the barely noticed cookies with her as she left.

-x-

The Acafellas had been invited to be the opening act at a PTA meeting.

It was by no means glamorous, but it was a big event. Excited was an understatement for Will, who hadn't performed in front of a group for a long time.

He'd gotten Finn and Noah Puckerman in on the group after Howard and Henri quit. Finn's dancing was improving, and Puck was showing a lot of promise. He hoped he could convince Puck to join the Glee club.

_Glee club. _Last Will had heard, the club had hired Dakota Stanley for about ten minutes. Rachel had apparently managed to keep the club from completely breaking up, and was the one to fire Dakota. Finn had kept him up to date with the news.

Finn also mentioned how bad Rachel felt about wanting to hire Dakota in the first place. According to Finn, the club hadn't been very happy with her after Will left.

He felt guilty. He owed them a better explanation, and an apology. And a full-time glee coach.

He honestly liked Rachel, despite her overbearing attitude. She was talented and actually quite enjoyable when she wasn't being a pain. Finn had mentioned that the club blamed Rachel for Will's leaving.

He couldn't imagine how much trouble he'd caused.

**AN: I'm ending this one a little early, sorry! I have such little motivation to work on this chapter, I've been trying to write it for so long. I'll make the next chapter twice as long to make up for it! I just really need to move on to the next episode and start fresh.**


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